UPDATE: Just to clarify, this blog post deals specifically with Daryl Dixon’s FIRST crossbow, the Horton Scout, NOT the Stryker he gets later on in The Walking Dead. However, some of the characteristics such as how he holds it, and the limp limbs issue still remain to this day.

Now I LOVE The Walking Dead – you all know that.

My husband doesn’t – he HATES the show. And there is only one reason for that:

Daryl Dixon’s Crossbow.

While we all think it’s cool to be shooting bolts into zombie heads, whipping them out, reloading, and firing again, my husband sees nothing but technical errors.

Yep, he is a real crossbow user. He even uses the same brand Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) does: a Horton. And that, apparently, is where the similarities end.

So, here I am, attempting to set a few things straight…

The crossbow Daryl Dixon uses in The Walking Dead:

Horton Scout HD 125 Red Dot Package

I hate to break it to you folks, this is an entry level children’scrossbow. Although it does have some advantages (and this is apparently the reason AMC picked this particular Horton model):

Lightweight

Small

Great at close range

The full specifics of the Horton Scout can be found here. But if you are looking for a really great crossbow, my husband would suggest the Horton Hunter Express SL. At least this one can shoot from a long distance. It also is relatively light weight (only a pound heavier) and compact (an inch or so bigger) when moving through the bush. My husband found this out the hard way when he got lost in thick scrub. Not only was he able to travel with his crossbow for hours without it getting too heavy to carry, but it rarely got caught on things. (Something to think about AMC if you want to upgrade Daryl’scrossbow to a grown-up model.)

There is also the advantage of being able to bring down larger animals with this model. The inherent problem with the Horton Scout is the very reason it was picked as Daryl’s crossbow: it’s size. The Scout really is only good for squirrels.

Squirrel – the new white meat of the zombie apocalypse

Shooting from a distance:

The Horton Scout is great when shooting zombies at close range. However, for every step back you take from your target there is a loss in velocity when firing. This is not such an issue with bigger, heavier crossbows, but with Daryl’s kiddie-bow, the likelihood of fatally wounding an animal or zombie from a long distance becomes fairly slim.

Which brings me to another bug bear…

Head shots with a light weight crossbow:

These are the ones fans love the most! Nothing like seeing that bolt (yeah, they’re called bolts, not arrows) pierce a zombie’s skull and protrude from the other side. Now, while technically, this isn’t possible with a Horton Scout, in The Walking Dead’s version of the zombie apocalypse, it just may work.

Take episode 15 of Season 3, entitled This Sorrowful Life, for example. We find Michonne (Danai Gurira) strapped to a post with a zombie attacking her. What does she do? Knock that bugger down and stomp it’s head in with her foot. In the real world, the bone density in the human skull is a bit tougher than this. While a strong person may get lucky and crush a skull, it’s highly unlikely that it would squelch in quite the same manner as it did under Michonne’s foot. Another fine example is the effect of Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and a baseball bat on the head of a zombie in Episode 13 of Season 3, Arrow on the Doorstep. So we need to assume that the zombies in The Walking Dead have a softer bone density than a living human.

If this is the case, then yes, a Horton Scout would very likely pierce a zombie skull with enough force to exit out the other side of the head. In the real world, however, a Horton Scout has enough force to penetrate (from a short distance), but certainly not to protrude from the other side.

This leads me to the next item on the agenda…

Get some decent bolts Daryl:

Remember in Episode 5 of Season 2 (and there will be more on this incident later), when Daryl shot himself? He was VERY lucky he was using target tips then. These tips are designed to be shot (during practise) at a padded target. The tip is rounded to allow penetration, but there are no other attachments to create complications when pulling the bolt from the target.

If he was using any other kind of tip, not only would he have caused himself more damage internally, but it would have been EXTREMELY hard to pull some of those tips out. You see, some of them are designed to get stuck in an animal – and stay stuck. In the real world, Daryl would be using anything BUT a target tip and most likely would have been up shit creek without a paddle after shooting himself. It’s highly unlikely for most crossbow users to use target tips when hunting animals as, once again, the penetration with these tips are not optimal.

*On a side note though, my husband is very impressed that AMC have given Daryl Dixon genuine Horton bolts made in the US rather than the newer ones that are made en mass in China*

The limp-limbs-when-loaded dilemma:

When Daryl is pointing his loaded crossbow at something, what you are looking at, realistically, is a partially cocked crossbow. While the string is pulled back and the bow can be shot when needed, this is not actually what a crossbow looks like in real life when it’s being all deadly. When loading a crossbow, one must pull the string right back and cock it correctly. This will result in a mushroom-like appearance rather than the more T-shaped crossbow we see Daryl Dixon hold (see the image below). Then, when the bolt is fired, it will shoot forward with enough strength to kill your target while taking it back to it’s resting shape: the T-shape we recognise on The Walking Dead as Daryl’s cocked crossbow. This drives my husband wild.

AMC have a very good reason for this though.

The limp-limbed crossbow dilemma in AMC’s The Walking Dead

If Daryl’s crossbow was properly loaded and it accidentally went off, someone would be dead. For real. So, to keep the Occ. Health & Safety reps happy, the crossbow has these limp limbs. And this is what happens when Norman Reedus shoots his crossbow:

The problem with the crossbow though is you can’t fire an arrow on camera – it’s a digital arrow. On set, there’s sort of a dummy crossbow with loose tension and it only shoots about five feet. It looks like the arrow’s flying out but it literally just goes like this far [casts his hand a short distance]. ~Norman Reedus

So yeah, while it’s technically incorrect, it’s probably a good thing!

Correct thumb placement:

Now, as I was getting my husband to proofread this, another error has come to our attention. Take a look at Daryl’s thumb placement in the above image (entitled: The limp-limbed crossbow dilemma in AMC’s The Walking Dead). Someone needs to let him know that if he shot his crossbow now, he would, quite literally, tear his own thumb off!

Season 2, Episode 5: Chupacabra

You know the one. Poor Daryl is out hunting for Sophia (Madison Lintz) and his horse spooks. This causes him to roll down an embankment, shoot himself in his side with his crossbow and land in a creek. Later in this episode, he pulls the bolt free.

What is wrong about this scenario:

It is virtually impossible to roll down a hill with a crossbow on your back. While you may somersault once, the flat surface of the bow will stop you. Alternatively, the front end will lodge in the ground. Sliding the entire distance down the hill (rather than just the rocky bit) would have been a more realistic option AMC.

So Daryl then looses his crossbow which slides down ahead before turning on him and shooting him. Who shot the crossbow? It must have been a perfectly placed tree branch or oddly shaped rock that reached in and shot it for him…Maybe another idea for the conspiracy theories page?

A bolt is not that securely attached to the crossbow. One upturn and that bolt would fall right out. Even if a branch managed to get in and release the trigger, there would be no bolt left there to fire.

So, after all this, Daryl gets shot with his own crossbow. The bow is facing towards him when it fires. Daryl is facing his crossbow as he slides. Yet the bolt enters via his back. Whoops!

A lesson on how to pull out a bolt: Daryl Dixon uses practise tips on his bolts. This means that there is nothing attached to the end of the bolt that would catch in the flesh when pulling against the entry point. Pulling the bolt through his body would have caused more injury with the fletches (the feathery things at the end) than pushing the bolt back through the entry point.

I just thought it was a stitch…

Now for my personal bug bear:

Is it a squirrel or a zombie? Brings a whole new meaning to Potluck Pie…

Daryl shoots both animals (for food) and zombies with his crossbow. While I can understand he cleans his bolts (although, hopefully more thoroughly than just wiping them on his pants), would he also clean his crossbow every single time he goes to hunt for food to prevent cross-contamination? Even if he used different bolts for food and zombies, there would still be some sort of nasty germ-swapping going on.

Would you really want to eat food that has been caught with the same weapon that killed zombies?

Want to know how to select your own crossbow in preparation for the zombie apocalypse? Check out this buying guide now!

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436 Responses to Daryl Dixon’s Crossbow vs. A Real Crossbow User

I have been a gun enthusiast for years now so it is really easy to notice the silly things like the sound of a shell casing hitting the ground after a revolver is fired. I just don’t let it bother me because I understand that it is just a show and they’re probably doing the best they can to make things as realistic as possible while maintaining a safe environment for the cast. Not to mention I would assume that the majority of people wouldn’t notice things like this. And the hell with questioning whether crossbow bolts or arrows would actually penetrate a skull. If I was going to nitpick anything at all, it would be people stabbing through the top and front of a skull with a KNIFE. Even a slightly decomposed skull would be nearly impossible to penetrate with a knife by even the strongest of people. But regardless of these minor discrepancies, my wife and I still enjoy the show 😉

Love the show and of course there are plenty of errors and opinions, but that makes for fun too. Pulling the bolt through along with the fletching was a poor choice if Daryl was savvy survivor he’s made out to be. I like spotting the erros such as the mis-placed bolt on his crossbow when he aims at the young kid in the alley when Rick escapes from the tank. Bolt is an inch above string. Pull the trigger and one might be looking for another crossbow after implosion. Yes the limp limbs are a hoot too.

That crossbow is rated at 250 FPS is weak for crossbows but comparable to a 60 pound compound bow, so “only suitable for squirrels” is not exactly correct. Not the best crossbow by a long shot but plenty power to penetrate a human skull out to 50 yards.

He would want to be able to pull bolts out easier for quick retrieval?! As there are thousands of zombies.. It’s a tv series, half the shit the sustain injuries would kill them. If you take movies literally then don’t watch any Hollywood movie, America isn’t going to save the world everytime and it’s actually not the centre of the universe.

I see one real problem with the view on the crossbow. That is the bolts being used. In a walking dead situation you would NOT use hunting arrows because you want to retrieve them with minimum effort. A target tip would be the perfect arrow to use in this situation.

Ok found another glaring problem. A lesson on how to pull out a bolt should be given to the writer. If you look at the picture of Daryl impaled with the bolt unless you’re a contortionist you are not going to reach behind you and pull that arrow out straight. Since you can’t pull it out straight how much extra damage are you doing as it flays around inside your vital organs trying to remove it. Pulling it though would do little if any extra damage since fletches are extremely pliable.

If we are going to nitpick TWD, can we nitpick something more significant, like the fact that MODERN CARS ARE STILL RUNNING ON FOUR YEAR OLD STALE GAS! Let’s face it, Daryl’s crossbow is dead on accurate in comparison! lol

‘N’ when the prison fences were overrun, why didn’t someone whip up a quick n dirty, disposable flamethrower? D and his bow have never taken me out of the story, but those always pull me right out.

Has anybody noticed that D changed bows somewhere along the line? i knew that the original was a Horton Scout 125, but I haven’t seen identifying marks on the later one. Anyone able to ID?

Who cares if it’s a child’s entry level crossbow. The show is meant to entertain which it does I love it, and for someone to sit there and pick fault with daryls crossbow is just pathetic. It’s not real zombies aren’t real. Get a grip and just sit back and enjoy

I love the show and Daryl is of course, my favorite person on the show. I have been into archery for a while and never had much interest in crossbows until I started watching Daryl with his. But now I have one and I love it. They may not be technically correct on the show, they can’t be really. But it got me started in a whole new sport, crossbows are awesome, they are accurate, great for hunting and fun to shoot. I have a 175 lb. Wicked Ridge Warrior HL, and and shoot it much better than any of my traditional bows or compounds or my firearms. Thanks Daryl

You went through a lot to prove a point we all already knew..it’s just a tv show. Does your husband watch no tv or movies? Or even the news at that matter. Oh, also you’re incorrect, in the episode CLEAR michonne takes a Stryker Strykezone 380 and he uses that up until the current shows. Which if I’m correct are/were around $870 and could out perform your husbands crossbow.

So if it was the end of the world and your husband found a crossbow it would have to be a particular model or he wouldn’t use it? He’s an idiot. Is he going to criticize The Simpson’s next? The chainsaw crossbow?
Also, Daryl didn’t shoot himself. The bolt he landed on was in the quiver.
Oh and the other thing is this never happened. Those people you see on TV, are called actors. They’re… pretending.
Dumbasses.

This post is bull. I mean this in the nicest way possible. Yeah There’s some inconsistencies with real crossbow use its a show. However Daryl upgrades to a 125 Stryker solution. Later on as seen in the top image of this post. Making his kidde bow. Obsolete and target point are the only thing I would use in zombie hunting specifically because there are no obstructions in getting your arrows back. It’s a sturdy quite crossbow and is well up to the task of taking down small to big game. Now to address the rolling down the hill scene no I’m afraid it’s entirely possible to keep rolling. You don’t see a block of wood just stop do you? However it’s be far to easy to break a shity carbon arrow or holy whichever you want to call it I’ve heard seasond hunters call them both in crossbow use. All and all to be honest you don’t have much of a leg to stand on with much of your info and opinions given in this article.

As far as “that can’t possibly happen” criticism of the show , I might point out there are millions of reanimated corpses wandering around eating the living! Maybe some cross bow operating errors are not the most glaring improbabilities presented in the series.

Yea!!! Someone on Facebook or some other blog started ranting about how bad people in the Zombie Apocalypse must stink. I, however, believe that people stink is nothing because the entire world now stinks even more due to all the decomposing zombies and dead bodies and other decomposing organic matter such as food.

i personally think they should upgrade Daryl’s weapon to a regular bow (I know that’s his character but it won’t hurt) like the Obsession sniper bow. More efficient and more reach about 300 to 500 yards if I am not mistaken. Or now they have explosive bolts now. Just saying lol

Im a crossbow hunter and tradtional bow shooter also have a busse knife just like dayrls ive tried lots of techniqes in the walking dead shooting and knife both the best way to pierce zombie skull is thru the temple or eye big fan of the show but in reality im far better then dayrl and if a real zombie appoclypse happens dont use target points on blolts.

Thank God someone has made these infractions known. My thing is he does not have front sights, nor a rear peep site, and no scope! There is no way he would be able to shoot with such accuracy. The last thing is how he walks around with a cocked crossbow on his back. Something I would never do. I prefer Barnett crossbows. They are accurate and super fast. They will also leave money in your pocket. Tenpoint may be good but to me they are too costly. I can place my bolts in the 10’s just as the Tenpoints.

Wow….. I hate when anal people like you guys pick apart TV shows… it’s not supposed to be realistic, that’s the whole point of television. It just looks cool, that’s all. Stop over analyzing everything… my god.

Hello everyone.
I have had the Horton Scout 125 crossbow for about two years, and i loved it.
I had to sell it one year ago, because of a bad period for my wallet.
Now i’m looking for it again, new or used.
If anyone can help me, please email me at losmemo86 @ yahoo . it
Thank you. It is very important for me.

I purchased a Horton Scout because of how compact and light it was for trekking through the woods. I’ve not only taken small game with it but also deer and black bear at a distance of 30-40 yards from my stand. The bolt went straight through all targets and dropped them one shot. Next is a moose for me. Yeah, not everything on television is perfect for the archery world, but the Horton scout hasn’t let me down yet. Great crossbow.

Wow, people get really offended if you make any criticisms about a TV show! I thought it was a well written and informative article. I realize it’s a TV show and it’s not going to be accurate, but they should strive to make it as believable as possible, in my opinion. The thing that always bothered me was how quiet Daryl’s Xbow is. They’re quieter than a firearm, but they’re certainly not silent.

I also realize that this was focused on the crossbow, but there are a lot of other inconsistencies that bother me about TWD: the walkers decompose, but how many years does it take for a corpse to rot away to nothing? What about rigor mortis? These zombies are wandering around aimlessly in the Georgia heat and they haven’t dried out yet. They obviously can’t heal wounds anymore and they walk aimlessly into things. They should be shredded to nothing by now. I can heal and I try to be careful and I still cut myself all the time. What about the new cars? I guess the auto manufacturing plants keep producing new models despite the zombie apocalypse. All the cars run too, despite 4 year old gas and batteries that should be long dead……those are just a few of the unrealistic things that get me, but it’s just a TV show.

Okay. after reading all these comments, I’m intrigued by your husband. As an American, guns, archery, and hunting are common. I’m curious about how hunters are perceived in Australia. Can he just go hunting on any public land or does he have to get special permission? What game does he hunt? I know that firearms have been effectively ridden from the continent for the most part, but are there still heavy restrictions on archery equipment? Are there licensing and registration requirements? How do others react to him as a hunter? Is hunting looked down upon? I imagine it’s viewed as barbaric in Australia. Is my assumption correct?

Our hunting laws are very strict. over here we can hunt on private property (over a certain size) as well as certain public lands (State forest and Crown land, from memory, but please don’t quote me on that one 😉 ).

It is increasingly harder to hunt with a crossbow over a gun though as many Australians consider it inhumane.

As for gun licensing, it took my husband months to qualify for his firearms license once you factor in time restrictions and record checks. The aim over here is to make sure a gun isn’t purchased in the heat or the moment or obtained by mentally unstable individuals. We also have restrictions on what sort of weapons can be owned.

There tends to be two types of Australians, those who are okay with game hunting and those who think it is the same as sport hunting. We live in a rural area, so many people out here have guns, but, in the suburban and city areas, many are opposed to them because they have never had to live on the land and see the devastation that can occur due to feral animals.

Hi, this is just a simple and quick comment. I ran across your thread and read some the more interesting comments. I realize this is a bit late. But 1st for crossbows and bolts (yes bolts), In reference to crossbows as take down weapons (killing something) I hate to break it to you but whether its 125 lbs or 180 lbs it still will get the job done.
I am a bowyer and make long bows and arrows as a side line and I also hunt with a crossbow 180 lbs Barrett wildcat II.
Listen a long bow with a draw weight of 55 lbs can take down a deer and animals of its size. However when I hunt Boar I use a 75 lb Bow.
Anyway a 125 lb crossbow at 20 metres will drop a deer, been there done it. (however I do use my own bolts) So laid to rest it will do the job. I also dropped a few greys back in the day as well.
As far as penetrating a human skull, I hate to break it to you but the human skull is about 6 mm thick, that’s it. Also the only thing in the middle is soft and gooshy, also only average of 9 inches thick total. At 8 to 10 metres ( approx. 24 feet ) it would penetrate both sides.
Human skulls and animal skulls are different. Humans are more thick headed but animals have thicker skulls.
Also as for tips, if you’ve got enough velocity it will penetrate.
Its been fun.
Oh and lets not forget, yes it is only a show. they have to make things for work.

I own several Crossbows (Barnett Recruit Compound, Barnett Raptor FX, Barnett Jackal and Barnett Buck Commander Extreme). I got into crossbows because of this show. When I saw that Daryl’s first crossbow was the Horton 125 Scout I kinda chuckled because I knew it was an Introductory Bow but do you know the real reason the Scout was chosen? Horton Bows went into Financial trouble. When they heard that TWD was looking for weapons for the show they made a deal with them (Hence the reason you clearly see the Horton name on the limbs) Hoping that this kind of advertisement would help them. Since the idea did not work fast enough for Horton they sold out to Tenpoint and bailed on their promise to TWD. Thats when Bowtech stepped in (Hence the Stryker Strykezone 380). I have been looking for the Strykezone 380 for 2 years now and cant find it for less that 900.00-1500.00 and this is for a used one. When they first came out they were priced at 500.00. There is one on ebay for 3000.00. It is an exact working replica of the 380 that Norman uses and it is signed by him…

I am surprised that you or your husband didnt point out the fact that crossbows are not meant to be nor should they ever be cocked by hand that a rope cocker or crank is to be used… The Stryker 380 is 165 lb draw weight. At that poundage hand cocking a crossbow like that over time will damage tendons, liters, nerves and muscles in the hands. now my Recruit and Raptor are 130 lb draw weight and due to the way they are design (Riser not wide enough) I cant cock them by hand. My Jackal I can cock by hand and its 150 draw weight but this is due to how wide the riser is. I also use gloves when hand cocking the Jackal. My Buck Commander Extreme? Aint no way. 175 lb draw…

I am also surprised that you nor your husband pointed out that Daryl used each crossbow for 3 seasons a piece yet he never waxed a string nor lubed an axle.

As for using a FIELD POINT (not a practice point) to hunt with…. Why cant you? I know several who have and have succeeded. One I know brought down a 10 point Buck last year using a Field Point all because he took his Practice Bolts instead of his Hunting bolts. Shot has to be dead on perfect but it can be done…

As for a bolt with Field Point moving at 260 fps penetrating the skull? Yep sure can…. Depends on the Kenetic Energy produced by the bow. My daughter has the Barnett Recruit Recurve. Shoots at 260 fps. At 30 yds she (missed the target) put the bolt half way through my wood shed…

Oh wow! Thank you so much for your expertise. I had no idea about that Horton and TWD story, but it makes perfect sense.

My husband will hand cock from time to time, so felt it was plausible someone would handcock if stranded in the apocalypse.
I actually agree with you about the field/practise points. They are easier to pull free, so would, personally, prefer to have these on hand if zombies were afoot.

As for oiling strings. Yes, it was another point my hubby pointed out at a later date and I just never got around to adding it in.

Yeah in a survival/Apocalyptic situation my bow of Choice would be my Jackal for that hand cocking reason. It takes to long to rope cock and the crank is noisy enough to stir up more trouble. Hand cock is faster… I would use my Buck Commander for something like On-The-Roof Sniping because of its speed (370 fps) and the Mil-Dot Scope and the other 2 for back up… In a situation like this the “Quiet Kill” is the best… Like I posted just now. I believe Daryl’s Mid Season 7 Bow is the Killer Instinct Furious or Machine. I am going by the limb design and Killer Instinct is the only Bow company that I know of with that design… Sorry… I have been studying Crossbows for about 4 years now… And I wasnt trying to be butt head in my last post… I just wanted to point a few things out…

As for the thumb thing. Horton 125 Scout was made before the new safety features were added to the sport. Now all crossbows come with finger and thumb guards that kinda looks like small wigs and all crossbows (well 95% of them anyway) have what they call finger pass throughs. Its a handle that keeps your thumb and fingers away from the flight rail. I have seen results of people putting their fingers and especially thumbs too close to the flight rail…. Not a pretty sight… All crossbows come with a warning label now. “Keep fingers and thumbs below Flight Rail. Failure to do so could result in serious injuries including the loss of finger or thumb”.. What people dont realize is that 175 lb draw weight can equal up to that AND 145 lbs of Kinetic Energy when that trigger is pulled….

I feel like his choice in crossbow seems pretty reasonable. Most of his fighting is close range with walkers. His arrows are perfect for killing zombies, which are more likely to kill him than animals. Sure, it means he’ll have a harder time hunting. They also carry guns. Why do you think Rick had a hunting rifle for the first 2 seasons?

There’s also the issue of availability. I still find it annoying that they never run into a dicks sporting goods.

I’m new to crossbows myself, and one thing i’ve noticed is this. Why a compond? there are recuves that would be much better. With the cams and such repairs and replacing the string would be verry next to impossible. With a recuve all you need is a few easly found items and some string material like dacron and within a few hours you have a replacment string.
I live way out in a rural area and this is a concideration i accounted for when buying my crossbow. Money is tight was another so i ended up with a jaguar. Not american made or anything fancy like the excalibers but it does the job and i can make my own strings. It has what i assume is a decent 175 lb draw. Nothing amazing but i’m not looking to hunt anything larger than a deer. And befor the inevitable is asked I hunt for food and use as much of what i hunt… Icluding tanning the skin for making clothes and such. I’m Not into the whole trophy hunting thing.

I like crossbows, and absolutely prefere compound for their numerous pros, but one of the biggest cons is their complexity compared to recurves. This creates issues in long-term maintenance and reliability.

Obviously, in an “fubar” optic who prefere a compound must keep that in mind, spending money in spare parts (wich will end anyway soon or later tough).

For me cost and practicality over ride form. I already had made the basic gear for making strings. I just scrounged around the home and found it all. Also being a bit old school i like the simplicty of desgine idea. less things to go wrong and beeing a “Hillbilly” I seem to naturaly love doing my own work on things.thats when it hit me about daryl’s crossbow. I would like to see that concideration in there a some point. It would make for a more convicing situation. LOL even though Zombies exist in the show. after all Daryl is an add in they can prety much do as they will with the cherecter..I would think.

Brilliant, just came across this as a crossbow user from the UK, we have very strict laws here but all the same its legal to own a crossbow i personally own a mankung xb53 (yes its from that part of the world) …all very well pointed out (excuse the pun) as a huge walking dead fan also… Had a love of crossbows since a child and a survivalist nature for 35+ yes now.
Great write up, thank you
Andy (UK prepper and other such stuff) 🙂